1890 Research awards $1.5M to SC State faculty researchers

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

SC State University’s 1890 Research & Extension Program awarded $1.5 million in grants to fund research projects with scopes ranging from combating child obesity through avid use of popular gaming systems to enhancing livestock emergency response in South Carolina.

The 1890 Research Program awarded up to $300,000 each ($100,000 per year for three years) to five selected faculty members whose proposals best align with the Program’s overall mission: to improve quality of life by identifying solutions to the challenges and problems that impact South Carolinians.

The researchers and a brief description of the projects are as follows:

Dr. Barry Frishberg, professor of health sciences and physical education
The project’s goal is to reduce the incidence of and/or better the handling of the disease Diabetes Mellitus. The project will investigate whether the type of resistance exercise a person trains with will significantly attenuate diabetes complications and/or quality of life for the diabetic.

Dr. Young Kim, assistant professor of math and computer science and Dr. Jaejoo Lim, assistant professor of business administration
The project seeks to improve livestock emergency response in South Carolina by developing and implementing a practical and advanced epidemiological simulation model.

Dr. S. Craig Littlejohn, professor of engineering technology
The project proposes to enhance food security and increase the consumer base for selected small farmers in South Carolina by implementing traceability technology as part of farm operation.

Dr. Renu Singh, assistant professor of business administration
The research will identify and explore growth opportunities in new foreign markets for South Carolina small-scale agribusinesses and equip the businesses with the knowledge and skills required to maximize these opportunities.

Dr. Mabel Scott, associate professor of health sciences and physical education
The research will provide a physical activity and nutrition camp that will continuously research the effects of technology on physical activity and nutrition in the reduction of weight for overweight or obese children.

According to Dr. Louis Whitesides, 1890 Research administrator, the new research projects expand the breadth of 1890 Research’s existing portfolio of applied and basic research in renewable resources, health and wellness, education, agribusiness, economic development and youth development.

“The projects address many critical issues that debilitate the everyday lives of South Carolinians,” continued Whitesides. “The recommendations that will come forth as a result of the projects will be useful to 1890 Extension educators in teaching their clientele the research-based applications. Additionally, the recommendations will provide research-based information which elected officials, community leaders and citizens of the state can use to determine policies or implement programs that help strengthen the overall well being of the state’s economic, environmental, health and social sectors.”

All 1890 research studies are three year projects, and researchers receive a maximum $100,000 upon annual renewal. The new research projects are underway and will be conducted until 2014. The funding is administrated through 1890 Research’s Evans-Allen research program. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, funds the Evans-Allen research programs, managed at the 18 higher education institutions that form the 1890 Land-Grant System.

The five new projects were selected among 34 total proposals submitted by SC State faculty from disciplines across campus. Whitesides said the proposals that were not selected have opportunity to pursue external grant opportunities through the assistance of the 1890 Research Centers.

“There were many worthy projects to fund through the 1890 Research Evans-Allen program,” said Whitesides. “While we wish we could grant support for all the proposals submitted through the program, we are keenly interested in supporting the researchers that were not selected by providing assistance, through the 1890 Research centers, with writing and submitting proposals to external funders.”

For more information on the new 1890 Research projects or on the 1890 Research Program, contact Dr. Louis Whitesides at (803) 536-8971 or lwhitesides@scsu.edu.